1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices that facilitate the collection of human feces for medical testing purposes, and more specifically relates to a device used in connection with water-flushed toilets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A search of United States patents that was conducted prior to the filing of this disclosure indicated that the following patents have been awarded for advancing the state of the art to which this invention pertains:
______________________________________ Patentee U.S. Pat. No. Year of Issue ______________________________________ James 3,400,409 1968 Nociti 3,471,871 1969 Gleichart 3,486,172 1969 Nagel 3,588,921 1971 Roberts, Jr. 3,775,777 1973 ______________________________________
None of the devices disclosed in the above-identified patents contact toilet bowl water when in use. Accordingly, none of the above-listed patents disclose or suggest that feces could be collected by a device made bouyant upon coming into contact with the water in a water-operated flush toilet.
In most modern hospitals, feces is collected by a device that bears a physical resemblance to a top hat. The "hat" is simply inverted and mounted by suitable means within the toilet bowl so that it collects feces deposited thereinto. The person collecting the sample must then retrieve it from the hat and clean the hat so that it may be used again as the hat is not disposable.